Fence-post.



H. L. FERRI S. FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.16. 1915.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co wAsulNcvToN, D. c.

HENRY L. Fnnnrs, or HARVARD,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNQR TO HUNT, HELM, FERRIS & 00.,

F HARVARD, ILLINOIS, A CGRPOEATION OF ILLINOIS.

FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed March 16, 1915. Serial No. 1 1,689.

ib all whom it may concern:

Be it known that, I, HENRY L. FERRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harvard, in the county of lvlcHenry and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fence-Posts, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fence posts and moreparticularly to a form of metallic fence post, carrying meansby whichwire fencing may be secured thereto. The invention will be more readilyunderstoodfrom the following detailed description of one form of fencepost constructed' in accordance therewith. In thls description referencewill behad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a frontelevation of a fence post and a section of wire fencing supportedthereby; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed elevation of the upper endof thefence post shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 1s a section on the line 3 of Fig. 2;Fig. 1 is a section on the line 4 of F 2; Fig. 5 is a section showing analternative manner of forming the body of the post.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that thefence post shown therein is constructed as a hollow body hav ingrelatively thin Walls designated 10, and

in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing of cylindrical shapeand with the joint designated 11 lying at the back of the post. In thedrawing I have shown a central butt joint unsecured, but it will beunderstood that a lapped, welded or crimped joint of any descriptionmight be used.

Referring to ig. 3 it will be seen that the front base or face of thepost opposite the joint 11 is provided with a plurality of projectingparts which are preferably formed by punching or pressing outwardly thematerial of which the post is formed. These projecting parts I haveshown as arranged in a series extending lengthwise of the post andrelatively close together. The specific form of projections illustratedin the drawings comprises pairs of members, each pair:

consisting of an out-turned tongue designated 12 and extending at aslight angle to the horizontal, and below the tongue a conoidal orinclined cylindrical piece designated 13. The tongues 12 are eachperforated as shown in 14 and the bosses 18 are open at their upperends, i. 6., the ends opposite the tongues 12, as designated at 15 onthe drawing. The specific manner of construction and manufacture bywhich these tongues and bosses are produced forms no part of my presentinvention, but it may be stated generally that they may be readilyconstructed by cutting, punching and pressing operations in a mannerquite obvious to those skilled in this art.

In order to secure the strand-wires 16 of a wire fence to a post formedin the manner I have described the wires are brought into contact withthe front face of the post to extend across the opening 17, and asecuring rod may then be inserted through the perforation 1 f the tongue12 and through the open upper end of the boss 13. The strand-wire 16thus becomes locked between the securing rod and the front base of thepost, is held against vertical movement by the under face of the tongue12 andthe up' per end of the boss 13, and against horizontal movement bythe face of the post .on one side and by the locking rod on the otherside. I find it convenient to use an ordinary wire nail designated 18 asa locking rod in the preferred construction of my invention, the head ofthe nail seating on the top of the tongue 12 and the point of the nailfacilitating its insertion in the open upper end of the boss 13.

In order to accommodate fences having various numbers and spacings ofthe strandwires I prefer to form the projecting securing means at shortintervals throughout the length of the post. The securing means may thusbe so closely spaced as to render it possible to slightly stretch thestrand-wires in the event they should lie in such a relation as to failto register exactly with the securing means of the post.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown a fence post of a triangularcross-section, the seam 11 in this post being located at the apex of theangle opposite the front face 10 in which the projecting securing meansare formed, it being quite obvious that the exact form of the post isimmaterial to my invention.

A fence post constructed in the manner contemplated by my invention, asexemplified by the foregoing specific description of one'construction,possesses numerous advantages both from the standpoint of manufactureand use. A primary advantage of such a construction as that contemplatedby my invention is the facility With which the wires may be secured tothe post and removed therefrom when necessary. It will benoted that suchsecuring and removal of V the wires requires no deformation of the partsof the post per se, but merely the ininsertion or withdrawal of alocking rod.. My post may, therefore, be secured to and,

7 terms of the following claims, in which it t is my intention to claimall novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as is possible in viewof the prior art.

I claim:

1. A metallic fence post comprising a hollow body portion having aplurality of projecting tongues on one of its faces and extending insubstantially horizontal relation thereto,*a hollow boss formed on theface of the post adjacent each of the said tongues,

the said boss being provided with an aperture facingthe saiditonguesopening into the interior of the p'ost,and a'loclring rod seated in thesaid tongue and entering the interior of the post through the apertureof the boss whereby said locking rod i's-se: cured in substantiallyvertical positionto avoid accidental dislodgment and with the greaterextent ofitsbody portion bearing against said bossyfor the purpose setforth.

2. A'metallic fence postcomprisingia hollow body portion'having aplurality of 'pro jecting tongues out-struck from oneffence andextending. in substantially horizontal relation thereto, each of said"to11gues hav mg a perforation thereln, a hollow boss out? struck fromthe face of the post to form a shoulder below each of the said tonguesand 7 having an open upper end opposed to'th'e" perforation in saidtongue, 1 and a headed I looking bolt passingdownwardly through theperforation in the tongue'and entering.

the post through the aperture of the boss in substantially verticalposition to avoid "accidental dislodgment and with the greater ex! tentof its body portion bearing against said boss, for. the purpose setforth. HENRY L. In presence of HOWARD J. FERnIs, GHAs. T. MINOT;

FERRIS.

7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. i l

